The Kremlin stage-managed Russia’s presidential vote over the weekend to send a singular message at home and abroad: that President Vladimir V. Putin’s support is overwhelming and unshakable, despite or even because of his war against Ukraine.
Mr. Putin, they said, won more than 87 percent of the vote, his closest competitor just 4 percent.
The Levada Center, an independent pollster, reported last month that 86 percent of Russians approved of Mr. Putin, his highest rating in more than seven years.
But while the figures may suggest unabiding support for Mr. Putin and his agenda across Russia, the situation is more complex than the numbers convey.
The leader of one opposition research group in Moscow has argued that backing for Mr. Putin is actually far more brittle than simple approval numbers suggest.
Persons:
Vladimir V, Putin, Potemkin
Organizations:
Ukraine, Levada, Mr
Locations:
Russia, Moscow